2009/2010 season ticket prices - what will the club do?

[Knotty]

Ill have a pint of Harveys, thanks

Always a great solution! Wish I could get it where I live!

 

[Dave the OAP]

Always a great solution! Wish I could get it where I live!

 

[Brighton Breezy]

Excellent idea. That's the sort of thing that COULD be done, doesn't cost a lot, but does actually show some thought towards the fans and it might just work in my opinion.

In fairness I contacted the club to say I would like my season ticket cancelled because I was angry about the way Wilkins had been treated.

I got an email from Ken Brown the very next day asking me out for lunch to discuss it.

 

[Knotty]

Well, we are told the funding for Falmer is in place of lined up. Falmer has now been agreed so I would say our future is pretty secure. Certainly not as precarious as the seasons when there was the possibility Falmer would get turned down. We are also told the funding is not dependant on ticket revenue.

We have to start looking at how we are going to fill Falmer and take into account the increasingly poor performances on the pitch and the economic climate.

I would suggest dropping season ticket prices significantly, whether we go down or not. Encourage NEW season ticket holders and don't just rely on existing ones.

This might mean a season or two of less than perfect finances but we are being told the club is building for the future. A bit less money coming in now in return for twice as many people at Falmer and HAPPY to pay more expensive prices is surely worth it.

The other option is lose more fans, go down, lose even more fans and then have a brand spanking new stadium with nobody paying to sit in it.

I don't see either option being financially brilliant for the club. But to me, risking losing more fans is far more dangerous to the long-term future of this club than short term loss of income.

That all sounds good but without knowing the exact situation of the club's finances, it's impossible to say if you're right or not.

I'd be delighted if the cost of my ST was dramatically reduced but not if that had a detrimental effect on the club's financial viability.

Also, a 'short-term loss of income' might be the straw that breaks the camel's back. Who knows?

 

[Dave the OAP]

Yes cos Walt Jabsco is Ray Bloom

 

[Uter]

Excellent idea. That's the sort of thing that COULD be done, doesn't cost a lot, but does actually show some thought towards the fans and it might just work in my opinion.

I think Barry Fry did a similar thing when he was manager at Peterborough a few years ago, although I don't know how many people he rang.

I'm sure a personal call from Dick Knight would certainly make a few waverers change their mind and would be superb PR.

 

[Brighton Breezy]

Seriously?! Did you go?

Yeah seriously. I couldn't go because I was away with work. Was then going to meet for a coffee before the Worthing friendly but he couldn't make it.

He sent me a long email listing reasons why I should not cancel and his phone number if I ever wanted to discuss anything.

He was actually pretty nice and reasonable. It worked. I kept my season ticket. Although I now wish I hadn't...

 

[Uter]

In fairness I contacted the club to say I would like my season ticket cancelled because I was angry about the way Wilkins had been treated.

I got an email from Ken Brown the very next day asking me out for lunch to discuss it.

Well that is good to know. If they gave every supporter the personal touch (not necessarily giving them all a free lunch!) then I'm sure more people would renew.

 

[Knotty]

I think Barry Fry did a similar thing when he was manager at Peterborough a few years ago, although I don't know how many people he rang.

I'm sure a personal call from Dick Knight would certainly make a few waverers change their mind and would be superb PR.

But judging from a lot of comments it would only be good PR if he guaranteed better football...and he can't do that.

 

[Knotty]

Yeah, good to hear they got it right with at least one person.

I do honestly think that's the sort of thing that would work. I haven't really thought about whether I want a ST next year yet, but if I didn't then Dick Knight or Micky Adams ringing me would probably change my mind.

But surely it wouldn't just be the fact that you were called that changed your mind? Wouldn't it depend on what they had to say - like a reduction in price?

And if they were to make a reduction in price I'd rather they just made a normal announcement instead of wasting money on phone calls.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

I'd be delighted if the cost of my ST was dramatically reduced but not if that had a detrimental effect on the club's financial viability.

Sorry, but that's wrong thinking. The club are not a charity. They've got the green light for a smart new stadium and we have to start getting out of the mindset that we have to bung them stupid amounts of money else we're bad people. Lest we forget, these are businessmen who want primarily to make money out of us. OK, they're NICER businessmen than most in charge of similar operations, and seem to be pretty damn fair and open to suggestions of being even more fair, but in the end it's a form of entertainment and nobody, especially in a full-on recession, should have any qualms whatsoever about withholding that sizeable chunk of ST money if they're not getting much in the way of enjoyment out of it. Enough with the guilt-trip already!

 

[Uter]

But surely it wouldn't just be the fact that you were called that changed your mind? Wouldn't it depend on what they had to say - like a reduction in price?

And if they were to make a reduction in price I'd rather they just made a normal announcement instead of wasting money on phone calls.

It obviously would work for everyone. Some people will be simply unable to renew for whatever reason. But I do think if they said something like "I'm very sorry to hear you haven't renewed, If you reconsider today we can offer you a £50 discount + a £20 voucher for the club shop" I think quite a few minds would be changed.

A five minute phone call is a small price to pay if persuades someone to part with several hundred pounds and would be far more effective than an impersonal letter I suspect.

 

[Knotty]

Sorry, but that's wrong thinking. The club are not a charity. They've got the green light for a smart new stadium and we have to start getting out of the mindset that we have to bung them stupid amounts of money else we're bad people. Lest we forget, these are businessmen who want primarily to make money out of us. OK, they're NICER businessmen than most in charge of similar operations, and seem to be pretty damn fair and open to suggestions of being even more fair, but in the end it's a form of entertainment and nobody, especially in a full-on recession, should have any qualms whatsoever about withholding that sizeable chunk of ST money if they're not getting much in the way of enjoyment out of it. Enough with the guilt-trip already!

I agree with every word you say, but that doesn't contradict what I said. It is a personal view of course, but it would be rather pointless to get a nice reduction in ST prices and then find the club going into administration because those prices were not sustainable.

Of course if people don't think what they are watching is worth the price then they shouldn't go. That's fair enough. But football is a little different to other products. You can't be guaranteed success or even to enjoy what you're watching. However, if I don't like Tesco I can go to Sainsburys..I can't simply change my football team.

There's no simple answer. What is the optimum price that fans will be happy with and keeps the club afloat? I guess no-one knows. In my view, if the football is poor, there will plenty who won't go regardless of how low the price is, so it's impossible to arrive at a safe figure.

 

[Knotty]

It obviously would work for everyone. Some people will be simply unable to renew for whatever reason. But I do think if they said something like "I'm very sorry to hear you haven't renewed, If you reconsider today we can offer you a £50 discount + a £20 voucher for the club shop" I think quite a few minds would be changed.

A five minute phone call is a small price to pay if persuades someone to part with several hundred pounds and would be far more effective than an impersonal letter I suspect.

If all ST holders knew that that was going to happen they wouldn't renew until they got the call so they could benefit from the offer! In that case, the calls would be a waste of time because they might just as well write to eveyone as normal offering the same deal - if they could afford it...

 

[Knotty]

No, it would be more that they value my contribution and realise the fans are important. I get the feeling at the moment that they don't really give a shit whether the fans are happy or not.

That might work for you but most adverse comments on here seem to be directed at prices and/or quality of football so surely no amount of ego-massaging by a phone call is going to help unless they can guarantee one or both of those things?